Former South African Coach Tips Keshi For Bafana Bafana

A former South African soccer coach, Steve Barker, has tipped Nigeria’s Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi for the vacant coaching job of the Bafana Bafana.

According to Barker, who is currently the head coach of University of Pretoria, Keshi has all it takes to take over the reins of South African soccer team.

The South African Football Association (SAFA) has indicated that it would not renew outgoing coach Gordon Igesund’s contract.

It would be recalled that after the just ended 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, there were speculations of Keshi dumping Nigeria for South Africa.

But football authorities in South Africa released a statement where they denied such insinuations.

* Coach Barker
According to SAFA, the new coach is expected to be announced on Saturday next week.
Commenting on who he thinks would become the next coach of South Africa, Barker said that Bidvest Wits coach Gavin Hunt would have been his first preference.

He said: “I think Gavin Hunt should have got the job initially,” said Barker, “if they were looking for a local coach, I thought he would have been a good candidate.

* Coach Keshi
“But Stephen Keshi is African, he understands African football. He has won the African Cup of Nations. He is familiar with the thinking and the background of African teams.
“But there are lots of other names in the bag of people who seem to have pedigree.”